Texas Rangers 4, Tampa Bay Rays 2 (10 innings)

Rangers pull out a win in their third straight extra-inning game.

The Texas Rangers found a way to win another extra-inning game Saturday night in Tampa Bay, defeating the Rays 4-2 in ten innings. The win improved Texas to 83-56, five games ahead of the Oakland A's for first place in the AL West. Tampa Bay fell to 76-62, two games behind both the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.

Photo not provided by the Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays had nothing to smile about Saturday night.

With the score tied 2-2 heading into the top of the tenth, Texas pounced on Rays reliever Kyle Farnsworth. After Geovany Soto hit a two-out double and was replaced by pinchrunner Leonys Martin, rookie phenom Jurickson Profar doubled him in to make it 3-2 Texas.

Ian Kinsler then walked and Elvis Andrus singled to load the bases. Josh Hamilton was then hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, allowing Profar to walk in for the 4-2 lead. Adrian Beltre struck out to end the inning, and Joe Nathan got the final three outs for his 31st save. Mike Adams, who pitched a scoreless ninth, was credited with his fifth win of the season.

Rangers starter Yu Darvish was excellent, allowing just two runs on two hits over eight innings. Darvish, who walked two while striking out eight, did not factor into the decision.

Rays starter Chris Archer matched Darvish, giving up two runs over seven innings and striking out eleven Rangers. Farnsworth fell to 1-4 on the year with the loss.

Texas opened the scoring in the top of the fourth when Josh Hamilton belted his 40th home run of the season, a two-run, one-out shot that scored Elvis Andrus and put Texas up 2-0. Hamilton leads the majors with 40 home runs and 119 RBI.

The Rays grinded out two runs to tie it, however. In the sixth first baseman Jeff Keppinger singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a walk and took third on a wild pitch. After Darvish got one out with a strikeout, Keppinger scored on Sam Fuld's groundout to make it 2-1.

Later in the eighth Keppinger drew a walk and was replaced by pinchrunner Rich Thompson. Thompson stole second, then scored when Kinsler made a fielding error to tie it at 2-2.